I don’t know if Robert Louis Stevenson was a golfer. But he once called the Monterey Peninsula and Carmel, “the most flelicitious meeting of land and sea in the world.”
Spanning eight decades, the Pebble Beach Golf Links hold a firm grip on golf history. From the annual U.S. Open to the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (formerly the Crosby Pro-Am) going on this weekend and each winter on the Pebble Beach, Spyglass and Poppy Hills courses, it is as famous for its stunning Pacific Ocean views as for its unpredictable weather.
In past years, rain has dampened the spirits of tournament leaders. The wind has howled at gale force. Snow and fog have halted play. Throngs of crowds are walking the fairways in shirt sleeves today but tomorrow may bring inclement weather.
Here, beauty takes many forms: pounding surf, bracing winds, majestic cypress, pine forests, craggy cliffs, yellow winter sun and blue-gray skies. Players flock to Pebble Beach to stroll in the footsteps of golf’s giants, as spectators line the fairways to watch the pros and amateurs.
It has been a hero-maker and a giant-killer. It is breathtaking, but heartbreaking. Challenging and mystifying. In fact, Jack Nicklaus has said if he could choose only one course to play one round, he would choose Pebble.